A Guide to Asgardian A Parenting, by Frigga All-Mother
by LokasennaHiddleston
Summary: From the moment Thor first saw Loki, they were inseparable. From the moment Loki became her son, Frigga decided she would stop at nothing to make her two beautiful boys happy. Or, the story in which Frigga is awesome, Odin is long-suffering, Loki and Thor struggle with teenage angst until they don't, and everything is as different as you can expect. Happy AU. Some crack.
1. Encourage Bonding Between Your Children

**So, this story contains: MPreg, Loki hijinks, pseudo-incest (obviously), non-graphic underage sex (I guess it still counts, even if they're Asgardian) and some stuff inspired from Norse myth. Obviously, it is not compliant in any way with canon.**

 **Full summary: From the moment Loki was placed in her arms, Frigga knew he would be trouble. From the moment Thor first saw Loki, they were inseparable. From the moment Loki became her son, Frigga decided she would stop at nothing to make her two beautiful boys happy.**

 **Or, the story in which Frigga is awesome, Odin is long-suffering and terrible at giving "the dreaded talk", Loki and Thor are horny teenagers until they aren't, and everything turns out as different as you can expect.**

 **Minor future pairing included: Steve/Tony/Bucky**

 **Chapter 1: Encourage Bonding Between Your Children (Especially if One is Adopted)**

In hindsight, they should have known. They should have all known. Frigga had, almost instantly. From the moment Odin had placed the child not of her blood into her arms, she had known.

Granted, it wasn't a clear feeling at first. In fact, at first, she was merely taken aback and more than a little wary. But she was also queen and she very carefully did not panic. "Odin? Husband?"

"He is the son of Laufey. I found him abandoned in an icy temple on Jotunheim. When I touched him, his skin turned Aesir pink."

Frigga brushed her fingers over the babe's smooth cheek. It was warm. The babe cracked his eyes open. Wide green eyes met her own, startled, curious.

And Frigga wondered then, how much did he understand? How much had he seen? How much could he truly grasp of the bloodshed that must have occurred around him?

She had no answers to those questions, and for the moment, they did not matter. For her heart was already filled with love for the tiny Jotun. He would be trouble, she knew, but she did not care, because she was hers.

"He is my son," she decided.

Odin was quiet. Frigga looked at him and she saw him staring back at her. She had to ask herself what he had truly been thinking when he'd taken the child, with what designs he had brought the babe to Asgard. She narrowed her eyes at him and cradled the babe closer. He cleared his throat and nodded.

"Yes. He will be known to all as our second son. Loki."

Just like that, they were in agreement. For a good couple of weeks, Frigga remained in her quarters, with Odin and Eir coming to see her. Eir was a necessity—she had to know of Loki's ancestry. The plan was a hastily put together one and would have never stood up to scrutiny if not for Asgard's blind faith in the All-Father. Frigga supposed that it helped that her breasts yielded milk for Loki and no one could question the queen's attachment to her second child.

Thor was brought in a few weeks into Loki's stay. He had been disgruntled, not understanding why his mother remained abed. His visits to Frigga's quarters were, by necessity, very few.

"Come. Come here. I'd like you to meet someone."

Thor's eyes were very wide as he took in the precious bundle in Frigga's arms. He padded to Frigga's side and peered closer. "Mother?"

"This is your brother," Frigga said with a smile. "Loki."

"Loki."

Thor repeated the name like a prayer, and really, that was when Frigga knew.

After that, Thor and Loki were inseparable. Thor was a very active, rambunctious child, but suddenly, all he wanted to do was to be with his new sibling. Loki seemed just as taken with him. They could often be found in the nursery together, with Loki in Thor's arms, tugging on a lock of Thor's golden hair. Thor would often speak of the lessons he had received that day with his tutors or relate tales of his past adventures with his friends.

"I cannot wait for you to grow up, brother. We shall go on grand quests together. We shall be the greatest warriors Asgard has ever seen."

From her place by the fire, Frigga watched them with an indulgent smile and a pang of inner dread. They were so young. It could all go so wrong in so many ways. But Thor looked at Loki with so much love, and for the moment, they were content.

* * *

Loki grew up with striking speed. Maybe he truly did want to catch up with Thor, or maybe it just seemed that way to Frigga, who just wanted to stop time and keep them both safe, together, at this age, when nothing could touch them.

But soon, Loki was crawling, moving around, exploring the world around him. His first word was "Tho". His second "Ma."

Thor could not shut up about his brother's achievement for two whole days.

Loki demanded more and more of Thor's attention, although whether he did it on purpose or not was anyone's guess. (Later, Frigga would decide that he definitely did it on purpose.) He cried often whenever Thor was not there, which was how Thor ended up carrying him all over the palace, much to Frigga's dismay.

Thor pouted and started to protest whenever they were found. "But Mother, Loki wanted to explore. He is bored of the nursery."

"You mean you're bored."

"Both of us," Thor amended. "Besides, I want my friends to meet my brother. We will all be shield-brothers when we grow up. Isn't that right, Loki?"

From his place still in Thor's arms, Loki cooed. "Tho..." Thor took it as an agreement and grinned. "See?"

Frigga knew it would not be so easy.

Thor's friends were frustrated that their companion had spurned their regular playtime for the benefit of his new little brother. And Frigga liked Fandral and Sif, but she decided she would keep an eye on them both.

As it turned out, her interference was unnecessary, because Thor made his stance quite clear from the beginning. She heard Fandral and Thor talk one day as they were leaving their lessons. "Thor, come on. We haven't played together in ages. You can be with Loki later."

"Loki will have to sleep later. He can't miss his naps. He is still growing."

Frigga smiled at Thor's sage, knowing tone. He was taking his duties as a big brother seriously. In all honesty, it was adorable.

"But Sif and I will have to go home then. Come on."

"Fandral, I cannot. Loki needs me. He would cry without me. I am his big brother, and I must be there for him."

And that was that.

It was, perhaps, predictable that Thor was the target of Loki's first spell, if only because of the sheer amount of time they spent together. It wasn't an actual spell, but rather, a simple unleashing of raw magic. Loki had been fussy the entire day, and Thor grouchy after a bad day of lessons. Frigga got up to make them some apple juice. She was only a few steps away when she felt the accumulation of seidr.

She turned just in time to see green explode from Loki's fingertips. It struck Thor dead on and he staggered, falling back on his ass. For a few seconds, Thor just sat there and blinked, and then he burst into laughter. "Brother, that is a great trick. Do it again."

He would say that many times in the following years.

Once Loki was old enough, he and Thor started to share a room, and things were both worse and so much better, because their games of the "greatest warriors of Asgard" escalated. And things started exploding at random around the palace as Loki's magic grew. Out of sheer self-preservation—and also because she loved her adorable little boy—Frigga dragged Loki off for private seidr lessons. Thor insisted on coming too, at first, but for all that he was Frigga and Odin's son, he just didn't have the same interest in learning magic as Loki did.

And then, Thor said, for the first time, "Brother, you should not focus so much on your seidr. Sif says it is for women, not real warriors," and things started falling apart.

Loki did not stop spending time with Thor. He was included in their group, but he was never more than a tag along. And Frigga ached when she saw it, because she knew that at this rate, her boys would lose the closeness that had been so precious to them when they'd been younger.

But there was only so much she could do. Not tutoring Loki in seidr was not an option. His Jotnar legacy held deep magic and if they ignored it, Loki could get seriously hurt in time—or hurt others. And Loki was so impossibly talented, far more than Frigga had ever been. She knew he would surpass her long before he reached adulthood.

She tried to avoid teaching him the spell for invisibility, but alas, she was unsuccessful—he chose his own spells and studied without her. And Loki was nothing if not clever. He saw how Heimdall looked at him—Heimdall was nowhere near as stoic and discreet as he thought, damn him—and he was uncomfortable with the scrutiny. So the spells and the masks came up, and Frigga's little boy started to disappear.

And yet, despite it all, it was still Thor that Loki always went to, and they still shared laughter and private smiles. Thor tended to take every prank in stride and hug Loki whenever his hair changed color or his sword flew away. And Frigga treasured those moments, locked them up tightly inside her heart, because he knew they would not last forever, and she would need them further along the line.

It was when Odin decided Thor and Loki finally needed to stop sharing rooms that it all came to a head. They had just finished dinner—a private dinner, with just the four of them, she should have known he had something planned—when he announced it.

Thor's immediate reaction was one of alarm. "But why? Did I do something wrong?"

His eyes were very wide, and he looked seconds away from leaping over the table and clutching Loki to his chest. Loki's face had gone blank, but he was just as pale as Thor, which spoke volumes of what he felt.

Frigga wanted to say it was too soon, but it wasn't, not really. They were young men on the cusp of adulthood. It was surprising her husband had even waited that long.

Odin gave her a long look, and ah, that was why. Odin might be a king, but he was not immune to the plights of parentage, and having to discuss the details of intercourse with his teenaged sons was something he wasn't looking forward to.

Sadly, Frigga could not do it for him. She would have liked to, Norns knew that she did, as uncomfortable as it would have made her, but it wouldn't be appropriate.

"If you will excuse me for but a moment... I will be right back."

She never did return to the lounge, but she did watch Loki and Thor leave. They looked pale and wan, and Frigga ambushed her husband as soon as she could. "What did you tell them?"

Her husband bristled. "What I had to. They are men. Soon, they will start having urges. We do not want royal bastards running around the palace. I instructed them on what is appropriate and what is not."

And that sounded all well and good, but Frigga suspected he was leaving out a good part of the conversation. She silently fumed even as he watched Loki and Thor take separate rooms and divide the things they had practically shared throughout their childhood.

Sif and Fandral were obviously thrilled. They should not have been.

For one whole week, Thor and Loki avoided one another. Frigga wasn't sure when they actually met up and spoke, but they must have at one point, because one day, she woke up to the sound of crackling thunder.

Her mind was instantly on alert. She already knew this was no mere storm. Thor.

As much as she dreaded what she was going to see, she still did not expect the dark clouds that had gathered over the palace. Thor was such a sunny and happy child. He did lose his temper on occasion, but it was never serious. Apparently, that was a good thing, because when the rain started, it was furious and fierce. Lightning split the skies, and in it, Frigga saw the shattering of her family.

She dressed hastily, not even bothering to summon her handmaidens. Her husband was already in the hallway, decked in his formal garb.

"What is happening? Where are Thor and Loki? Where are my sons?"

She gripped his arm and squeezed. His armor creaked under her desperate hold. He didn't flinch. "They are both missing. I will seek them out from the throne. You must look for them too, wife. You know Loki has his ways to avoid my sight."

Frigga nodded and retreated to her quarters. In a haze, she brought out her seer mirror and cast a quick spell. Thor's image instantly manifested on the clear surface. He was walking on the beach, straight in the eye of the storm. When lightning struck him, he did not flinch—it didn't hurt him. But for all that he looked majestic, there was something in him that was broken.

Huginn and Munnin somehow made their way to him despite the angry elements, and Frigga waved off the image. She sought out Loki next. Her mirror stayed blank. Loki's shields were up. She was not surprised, but that didn't mean it did not hurt.

A single tear trailed down her cheek before she angrily wiped it away. Tears would not help. She needed to fix this. She needed to stop it. There had to be something she could do.

This was not the tantrum of a child. Thor would not lose his temper and unleash his thunder just because he and Loki had taken separate bedrooms. They might be young, but they were still princes and they were aware of their responsibilities. Thor wasn't all that accustomed to wielding his innate power at all.

She knew that Thor would likely be back soon. He would not ignore an order from Odin, even one delivered through the ravens.

The mirror showed her the meeting between Odin and Thor. Thor walked into the throne room with his back straight and his eyes in shadow. Outside, the sky was still dark, although the rain had stopped. "Father, you wanted to see me?"

"Yes, Thor. Would you like to explain yourself?"

He was still so young. The burden on his shoulders was too great. Frigga wanted to break something. "I... I cannot," he said. "It is a private matter."

Odin's hold on the arm rests of the throne tightened. "It is no longer a private matter the moment it affects the citizens of Asgard." His voice softened. "Please, my son, speak to me."

"I apologize, Father. I can only say it will not happen again."

Odin let out a heavy breath. He obviously knew he would not get anything more out of Thor, and if he pushed, Thor would just resent him. "Very well. You are dismissed, Thor."

The moment Thor was out of the throne room, Frigga was moving too. She knew he would probably be going to the barracks to break something, so she had to intercept him before he did that.

She arrived just in time, and naturally, he stopped when she called his name. "Thor, I must speak with you. Have breakfast with me?"

Thor flinched, but didn't refuse her. "Of course, Mother."

Thor took her arm, and together, they made their way to her garden. Frigga waited until her handmaidens served the meal, giving Thor time to gather his thoughts. Finally, she addressed the topic at hand. "Thor, I am concerned. What happened this morning? Where is Loki?"

Thor took a deep breath, as if bracing himself. "Loki and I... quarreled. We said some things... I did something I cannot take back. I... I fear he will never forgive me."

Frigga tasted dread in her mouth. "What? Thor, what did you do?"

Thor shook his head. "I cannot tell you. I am sorry, Mother. Please, do not ask. I... I must only hope that Loki will find it in his heart to forgive me one day."

In her heart, Frigga already knew what had occurred. She had probably always known that it would get to this.

There was only one path that she could take, only one thing that could possibly fix it. It could also backfire horribly. She had wanted so many times to tell Loki about his true parentage, because she had known he felt different, and he deserved an explanation. But he was her son, the son of her heart, and she was selfish. She didn't want to lose him.

They were both so young... Was it too soon? Was it too late? She didn't know.

Frigga remembered Thor and Loki playing together as children, the way they'd always been so close. She scanned Thor's face, seeking her answer. He found it in Thor's eyes.

She had to have faith in her children, more than in her weavings, in the half-remembered nightmares that plagued her. For Thor, for Loki, she had to believe.

Odin would not agree. Odin wanted to keep the truth from Loki. He still had not told Frigga what he'd had in mind for Loki when he'd taken the babe from Jotunheim, but whatever it was didn't seem to involve revealing the truth anytime soon.

Well, Frigga could not wait any longer.

Loki came back later that day. He was as impeccable as ever, and unlike Thor, he didn't seem rattled. But Frigga saw the truth he was desperately trying to hide. He saw the way Loki couldn't quite face Thor, no matter how hard he tried.

After dinner, Frigga pulled Loki aside. "Darling, walk with me."

Loki didn't even bother to pretend he didn't know what this was about. "Mother, concerning the matter with Thor... I assure you there is nothing to worry about. It is a simple argument between siblings. It will pass."

"Yes, I know that. But I believe this is rooted in something deeper, something that will not pass, and doesn't have to."

"I do not understand."

Frigga ached for him. And she wished so desperately that she truly had given birth to him, but she had not, and he deserved to know.

The Casket of Ancient Winters was in the Weapon's Vault, under the watch of the Destroyer. "Mother, what are we doing here?" Loki asked once they were in front of the artifact.

"There is a secret, something we have been keeping from you." She took his hands and pressed them to the Casket. She watched with a heavy heart as they turned blue, but she didn't pull away from him. His icy skin didn't burn hers.

A few moments passed and then, he forcibly broke away from her. Frigga released him from her embrace. The Casket clattered to the floor like an abandoned toy as Loki stared at himself in horror.

"What... What is this? What am I?"

"You are my beloved son, my Loki, my little mischievous godling."

Loki looked up at her, his eyes in tears. "What more than that?"

So Frigga told him. She told him the story Odin had, of how he'd wandered into the temple, taken the Casket and found another, greater treasure. Laufey's son.

Loki's voice sounded so broken when he repeated "Laufeyson". And Frigga knew what he was thinking, knew what Aesir thought of the Jotnar.

"Listen to me, my darling. Jotnar are not the uncouth brutes Aesir depict them as. They are not monsters. The All-Father himself is half-Jotun, although that has been practically forgotten. And I know this is very difficult for you to accept. I am so very sorry for the deception. But first and foremost, I need you to understand that you are my son and I love you so very much. So much."

"Does Thor know?"

Frigga shook her head. "I thought you might tell him in your own time. He loves you too, Loki. No matter else you might believe, believe in that."

"And the All-Father? Why did he take me? He must have had a reason."

"Your father does not always share his council, not even with me. But in truth... I think he couldn't not take you. You were such a beautiful child, my Loki, and even the heart of a king is not made out of stone." She hesitated and then finally said what had been on her mind all these years. "He told me that your skin turned Aesir the moment he touched you. I think now that at some level, you sensed the war and the peril, and your magic kept you safe."

"Oh, I see. The All-Father might have slain a Jotnar spawn, but not an Aesir-looking babe."

It was bluntly put, but that was the crux of it. "But my son, that doesn't mean there is anything wrong with who you are. There are a lot of circumstances at work here, things I wish I could change and things I wish I could protect you from. But you are almost a man now, and I can no longer lie to you." She dared to step forward and was gratified when he didn't step back. He was rigid when she hugged him, but again, he didn't break away. "I am so sorry, my darling. I wish I had better words to express what you mean to me. I can only say that the moment you were placed in my arms, you became mine. No matter what your blood is, you will always be Friggajarson."

Loki let out a small, choked sob. "Mother..."

"Trust in that, Loki. And trust in Thor and in your own heart. There is nothing more genuine in all of Asgard than what the two of you share."

She didn't have to explain what she meant. Loki knew. He understood that she had brought him here to make it clear that it was all right to look at his brother and see a romantic interest.

The All-Father would be livid. The Aesir would not like it. But Thor and Loki were Frigga's children, and she would be damned if she allowed her boys to be kept apart by her lies, and those of her husband.

They left the Weapons Vault after putting the Casket back on its pedestal. Loki kissed Frigga's hand and hugged her one more time. "Thank you. I will think on what you said."

It was all that she could hope for, really, that she'd made the right choice and so would her beautiful beloved children.

She didn't sleep that night. She tried, deliberately seeking out answers in her dreams, but slumber simply would not come. Fortunately, she did not need visions to know her gamble had worked.

The next morning, the sky was clear and the sun was shining brighter than ever. Loki and Thor were together at breakfast. Thor had his arm draped over Loki's shoulders and he was grinning so wide he simply lit up the room.

Loki's smile was smaller, but very real, a genuine expression of happiness, nothing like his usual mischievous smirks that often promised a great deal of trouble for the targets of his pranks. Odin looked relieved that his sons had reconciled. He obviously didn't realize what that that reconciliation involved, but ah well. He didn't need to find out just yet. Let the boys enjoy their love. The Norns only knew they still had plenty of trouble coming their way.


	2. Be Mindful of Unreasonable Expectations

**Chapter 2. Be Mindful of Unreasonable Expectations and Pregnancy Scares**

Thor and Loki were both on the cusp of adulthood when Frigga started hearing murmurs and questions about why Thor was never seen with a maiden. Loki's dalliances were never questioned—everyone knew Loki liked his secrets. Not to mention that as of late, Loki was increasingly being labeled as ergi, something which made Frigga want to bring the whole of Asgard down in fury and frustration. She hated that stupid word.

For his part, Loki seemed to mostly take it in stride—but things were never as it seemed with Loki.

Thor, however... He was a mighty warrior. He had already been entrusted with Mjolnir despite his young age and he had proven his valor on the field of battle countless times, much to Frigga's dismay. Why would he not want to look into courtship?

Naturally, Frigga knew the reason why Thor did not show interest in maidens. His heart was already set on someone. Frigga had already instructed both Thor and Loki on what was appropriate for young men their age. And it was a good thing she had done so, because whatever Odin had told them clearly hadn't sufficed to clarify their confusion.

They were discreet, which Frigga naturally attributed to Loki since Thor was terrible at keeping secrets. Also, Thor was naturally tactile, so nobody thought it was unusual if Thor pulled his brother close or hugged him a little too tightly. Yes, maybe they were a little too old for such displays, but they'd grown up together. It wasn't like anyone could ever guess that Thor and Loki had any sort of... intimate relationship beyond that of siblings.

They had their close calls, though, and Frigga watched them like a hawk at every feast they now attended. This particular celebration didn't actually... celebrate anything, but it did mark another moment of "oh no" on Frigga's mental calendar.

A wench Frigga didn't recognize decided it was a good idea to seek Thor's attentions by plopping herself into his lap. Thor's eyes widened and he immediately tried to remove her. Loki was, naturally, right there. He didn't seem to be paying attention—he was half-turned toward Fandral—but Frigga could tell his nonchalance was completely fake. He was definitely watching.

From the distance, Frigga couldn't see what was happening. She was trying to figure out if there was a way she could step in without embarrassing Thor and possibly causing a scandal that would topple the house of Odin when Loki turned. He blinked in apparent surprise when he saw the woman on Thor's lap. His hand gently landed on her elbow.

Frigga was on her feet in seconds, leaving an illusionary double in her seat. She quickly moved through the crowd and got to her sons' table just in time to hear Loki say, "Lady, your attentions are appreciated, but I'm afraid my brother cannot assist you in what you seek."

Thor glared at Loki. "Brother..."

"I know..." Loki let out a heavy sigh. "I know you didn't want to discuss this, but it is for the best, Thor. You see, my dear lass, my brother's control of the thunder does not come without a price. It is a very difficult task, one which only a great warrior can accomplish. But his strength... Well, you understand that in the bed chambers, especially with one as lovely as yourself... Control is in short supply."

"Loki..." Thor buried his face in his hands, obviously embarrassed.

Loki's voice was barely a whisper, so low that only the wench, Thor and perhaps Fandral could hear it. Still, Frigga had no doubt that by tomorrow, the story Loki so skillfully spun would be all over the palace.

Frigga hid a smile and returned to her table. She really should have trusted Loki more. Of course Loki would manage to make Thor look good and keep Thor for himself in one fell swoop. Her little God of Mischief.

Weirdly, though, Loki's excuse proved to be somewhat prophetic, and given all their adventures, something was bound to go wrong.

In hindsight, they should have known better than to involve Loki in the matter of the wall. But truly, Asgard was often so unreasonable when it came to Loki. He was so much wiser than his age suggested, and people simply tended to... forget that he had not yet reached adulthood.

That day, Odin had Loki and Thor sit in for the Thing. They were meant to be paying attention, but Frigga was suspicious. Thor didn't look any different than the way he usually did, but if Frigga looked a little closer... Was he an illusion? What were they doing?

"Thor, Loki... What is your opinion on the matter?" Odin asked.

Again, his inquiry was not unusual. Thor blinked and stared at Odin. His face suddenly looked a little flushed. Loki was smiling slightly, and Frigga suspected that even her youngest hadn't been listening to an important matter of state.

Frigga suppressed the urge to rub her temples. As responsible and wise as Loki could be, he was still only a young man, with certain urges and far more recklessness than Frigga would have liked. Sigh. She would have to discuss the matter with him later. She didn't think it would have been possible for him to hide actual intercourse—and he wouldn't have risked it in front of the Thing—but he had been up to some mischief, of that he was certain.

"Would complying with the Frost Giant's request be so out of the question?" Loki asked. Apparently, he was not completely oblivious to what had been going on.

"Loki, he asked for the sun, moon and stars," Odin said. Frigga suspected Loki hadn't heard that tidbit.

"Well, yes, but what if we gave him an unreasonable deadline? If he doesn't complete the quest in time, we would not be forced to pay."

"Hmm..." Tyr mused. "That could work."

"It would be dishonest," Forseti argued, "but we could compensate him with something more reasonable further along the line."

Frigga would have argued that there was no real point to recruit the Jotun Svadilfari to begin with. Asgard had capable workers, and they could bring in dwarves if it was needed.

Svadilfari's assistance was not strictly necessary. But for whatever reason—Frigga suspected that Odin was trying to somehow mend the rift between Asgard and Jotunheim—Odin insisted on it, so, it was agreed upon that they would go through with Loki's plan. What they did not realize at the time was that Svadilfari was a powerful mage and a shape-shifter. The deadline he was given was more than enough to finish the wall.

When the work was almost complete, the Thing assembled again in a panic. Obviously, they could not give Svadilfari the sun, the moon and the stars, so new negotiations were needed.

Whoever went to discuss the matter was an idiot, because the next thing Frigga knew, Odin was telling Loki, "He asked for you. He wishes to be... your paramour."

Loki's face went studiously blank. Thor was on his feet in moments. "He dares! He will die for this transgression."

Thor's eyes filled with the might of thunder. Mjolnir crackled with power. Outside, dark clouds were already gathering.

Loki took hold of Thor's wrist. "I take it you agreed on the terms."

Forseti threw his hands up—and of course it had been him. "I had no choice. Besides, it was your plan to begin with."

It had been a plan the Thing had agreed to. Frigga was ready to protest, to jump to her son's defense. Loki spoke first. "Tell me what it was that he said exactly."

Forseti looked uncomfortable. "He said that... He had heard of your great magic. And he wishes to have you as his own."

Lightning lit up the skies. Loki's hold on Thor tightened. "He is a shape-shifter, you said. He has used his skill in transforming into a horse to assist him in his work."

Forseti was obviously confused. "Yes."

Loki nodded, as if he'd just come to a decision. "I will deal with this. Thor, with me."

Thor and Loki left, and later, a new deal was struck. Loki went to Svadilfari himself. He explained that he was not comfortable with yielding while in his normal form, but he was intrigued by Svadilfari's shape-shifting, and he was willing to come to Svadilfari as a mare.

Svadilfari was thrilled. Asgard was horrified. The clouds above the palace were perpetually dark.

On the day Svadilfari finished the wall, Thor joined them. A beautiful black mare trotted by his side. Her eyes were green—Loki's green.

Svadilfari gave her a lustful look. "My prize. I will enjoy myself very much."

He shifted into his horse shape, a massive steed bigger than any horse Frigga had ever seen. The mare took off, and Svadilfari ran after her. They disappeared together into the forest.

Nobody knew what to say. Odin looked pale. His hold on Gungnir was very tight. He had obviously expected Loki to come up with some sort of trick at the last moment.

Thor launched himself into the air, his hammer lighting up with the power of lightning. Frigga watched him go.

She wondered how no one realized that Thor would have let Asgard fall before he'd allowed his brother to sell himself in that manner.

The mare returned a long while later. She was heavy with child—Svadilfari's child—and she was obviously having trouble. The foal couldn't be very old, but he was already quite massive.

Frigga led the mare into the stables. As soon as they were behind closed doors, the illusion cloaking Loki faded—and another black mare popped up next to the pregnant one.

Loki turned back to his usual self. He was grinning, wide and bright. Frigga rolled her eyes at his antics. "Loki, this was too much, even for you."

"To be fair, Mother, I only told him I would come to him as a mare—which I did. It was not my fault that he mistook my construct of magic for me."

Despite herself, Frigga couldn't help but burst into laughter. "You are too clever by far, my little Silver Tongue." She sobered and cupped his smooth cheek. So young still. "What if it had not worked?"

"We were going to go with Thor's plan." Loki shrugged. "You know as well as I do, Mother, that Thor would have never let Svadilfari have me."

"Still, everyone thinks that you did go with the Jotun, and they have seen the pregnant mare arrive."

Loki waved a hand dismissively. "Yes, well, I admit I made the construct a little too good. But I will dissipate her once the foal is born. And if they think the foal is mine... Well, what does it matter? Someone will have to raise it since his actual mother will be gone. And I think..." Loki's smile was soft. "He will make a fine steed. A steed worthy of a king."

And so it was that everyone—except Frigga, Thor, Odin and quite possibly Heimdall—continued to believe in Loki's lie, and Sleipnir became Lokison.


	3. Husbands are Sometimes Ridiculous

**Chapter 3. Husbands are Sometimes Ridiculous, but They are Also Fathers**

When Thor and Loki's majorities arrived, they were both celebrated with great feasts in their honor. Frigga was proud of how much her sons had grown. She missed her little boys, and the days when things had been easier, but she also saw the closeness that had built between them, the silent complicity and intimacy.

True enough, Loki and Thor had their own preoccupations and hobbies. Loki continued his avid studies of magic, and Thor was a warrior through and through, and could often be found sparring with Sif or the Warriors Three. But they were never separated for long, and Frigga's heart glowed at their love.

The weave promised great things for the future.

And still, Asgard remained completely oblivious. It was, quite possibly, Loki's best jest.

Of course, the lie could not last forever. Only two weeks after Loki's birthday, Thor and Sif were summoned in front of the All-Father. Frigga and Loki was also required to be there, as the matter apparently would concern the entire family.

"Mother, do you know what this is all about?" Loki whispered just before they could enter the throne room. He was worried—of course he was. Her little Loki—always so clever, so cunning, but with so much heart.

"I do not," she admitted, patting his hand, "but whatever it is, it will be fine. Remember you can always rely on my support."

Frigga and Loki joined the All-Father in the throne room, and Thor and Sif arrived shortly after that. "Father, you wanted to see us?" Thor asked.

"Yes, indeed, Thor. It has come to my attention that you have found a bride."

Loki went rigid. His fingers flicked with the beginnings of a spell—one to depart the throne room. Frigga grabbed his hand and quickly cast an enchantment of his own to conceal his lapse.

Thor gave Loki a barely perceivable look. He had grown more adept at hiding his true feelings for his brother, but he was still a fundamentally honest person, and he could never quite get it right.

"A bride?" he repeated.

"Yes. Is it not so, Lady Sif? I am told that you and my son have initiated courtship."

Sif's eyes widened and she turned red. "I... All-Father... I..."

She stole a look toward Thor. She wanted it to be true, and she was trying to understand if she had missed the signs.

Unfortunately for her, it was quite false.

"Father, no," Thor said. "Sif is a dear friend. I care for her, as she does for me, and she is my loyal companion in battle. But she will not be my bride."

Everyone—except Thor—noticed Sif's flinch. Poor girl. It was not Thor's fault that his heart was taken and he could not see anyone except his brother. Still, Frigga would have to consult her weave and see where Sif's match truly lay.

The All-Father scowled. "Tyr has reported seeing you and a dark-haired maiden on Alfheim last week, at the Festival of Lovers. I assumed it was the Lady Sif. Is there another?"

Loki's breath caught. Thor's eyes went very wide and he blushed so brightly his color far outmatched that of the Lady Sif.

"Yes..." Thor said weakly. "There is another I have given my heart to, but I cannot yet say... I am sworn to secrecy."

Odin's scowl was dark. "How so? Thor, please tell me you have not fallen for a woman who is already wed."

Loki's shoulders were shaking. Frigga elbowed him, and his silent laughter subsided. He cleared his throat and straightened his shoulders. "All-Father... If I may..."

"Yes, Loki, do you have some insight in this matter? Do you know who Thor's love is?"

Loki hesitated, for only a brief moment. His eyes flashed with determination and Frigga gave him a brief nod.

It was time. The boys had hidden long enough. They were adults now and could make their own decisions.

"I believe, All-Father, that this is where I confess I have experimenting with shape-shifting once again. Shape-shifting to a gender different from my own."

Sif made a noise that Frigga couldn't hope to interpret. Odin stared at Loki. He had not yet understood.

For one so wise, Odin could often be very blind—and not because of the eye he'd lost during the war with Jotunheim. Maybe it was just willful blindness this time around. No one was quite as good at denial as Odin.

"You went together to Alfheim? Loki, as much as I do not encourage Thor's carelessness in this matter, it is not appropriate for you to act as your brother's chaperone. If you had concerns, you should have come to me or your mother."

Chaperone? Oh dear.

"No, All-Father, you misunderstand," Loki said. "I was not there as Thor's chaperone."

"We were there as a couple," Thor blurted out. "Loki and I. Loki is my love."

For a few seconds, the All-Father said nothing. He simply stared at Thor, as if he was trying to process what his eldest had said.

Then, those moments passed, and Odin's voice echoed heavily around them. "Lady Sif. Out. Now."

Sif wisely fled. The doors of the throne room closed behind her with a decisive band. "Wife?" Odin asked once Sif was gone. "Is there anything you'd like to share about our sons?"

Frigga smiled beatifically. "They are in love, husband. Is it not wonderful?"

"They are in love with one another!" Odin shouted. "This cannot be. They are brothers."

"Well, technically speaking, we are not of the same blood," Loki replied. He was trying to be calm, but Frigga suspected that, deep inside, he was panicking. "Indeed, we aren't even of the same species."

A vein twitched in Odin's temple. "I will not even ask how you know about that. We shall have to discuss it at a different time. But regardless of who might have sired you, you are my son and you are Thor's brother. Or do you deny it?"

"It matters not," Thor replied in Loki's stead, taking a step forward. "Loki is and will always be my brother, yes, but he is also so much more."

"Thor..." The All-Father sounded pained. "You are to be king one day. You need a queen, heirs."

"Actually..." Loki piped up. "About that..."

Something in Loki's tone put Frigga on alert. "No! Already?" Frigga smiled widely and gripped Loki's hands in her own. "My weave did tell me that there was a chance, but I did not expect it to be so soon."

At the back of her mind, a voice was squealing, "Babies! Grandchildren! Babies! Beautiful babies!"

"When?" she gasped out.

"Probably at the festival." Loki's answering smile was tentative and shy. "I'm not certain just yet. It could be... nothing."

But Frigga knew it was not, because Loki wouldn't have mentioned it otherwise.

The sound of Mjolnir dropping made Frigga release Loki's hands and take a step back. Thor took her place by Loki's side. "Loki... You are with child?"

Loki nodded. "I think so, yes. You are... pleased?"

In response, Thor just kissed Loki. Frigga mentally did a happy dance. Oh, this was turning out so much better than she had expected.

Odin let out a small very unkingly sob. Frigga smiled at him. "There, there, husband. You know how it is. We cannot get in the way of love."

"Frigga," he said weakly. "I fear the Odinsleep is upon me. Your sons have managed what Surtur himself has not. To fell me."

"Oh, do not be so dramatic. You will be fine." Frigga tsked. "We will have to hasten Thor's coronation perhaps, and marry them swifter than I anticipated. We cannot have our first grandchild be born out of wedlock."

"Yes, wife. Indeed, we cannot." Odin supported himself heavily on Gungnir. "Very well, my sons. You shall have it your way. But note that given the circumstances, it would be advisable to notify Asgard of Loki's true parentage."

At one point during the conversation between Frigga and Odin, Loki and Thor had stopped kissing, but they were still holding on to one another.

"I am prepared for that," Loki replied bravely. And he was, the little dear. For all that Thor was usually the more demonstrative one, Loki loved Thor just as much as Thor did him.

"It need not be an excessive display," Frigga reassured him. "As Odin has said, you are still his son and mine, and still the prince of Asgard. But the matter will still have to be discussed with Laufey."

"I will handle it," Odin grumbled. "Norns... You two will be the death of me."

Loki and Thor shared a sheepish look, and Odin scoffed. "Do not look regretful. I do not believe it for a moment. Now, run along, before I change my mind and banish you both to Midgard."

Loki grabbed Thor's hand and teleported them out of the room. Undoubtedly, they would be going to celebrate. Frigga suspected they would be ensconced in Loki's chambers for the next two days.

She smiled at Odin. "It is all well, husband. They will make fine leaders. Loki's wisdom balances Thor's recklessness and Thor's warmth anchors Loki's more ruthless side. They are a good match, and they will be wonderful parents."

"Well then... That is as much as any parent can expect, really." He hummed thoughtfully. "Perhaps this is a good thing. I look forward to giving Thor the throne and playing with my grandchildren."

His expression had softened, and Frigga knew everything would be all right.

* * *

The meeting with Laufey went about as well as Frigga would have expected it to go. There was a lot of ranting—Laufey complaining about Odin having apparently interrupted an ancient Jotun rite which involved testing children against the cold Jotunheim winters, Odin shouting that Laufey had no right to complain since Loki was his son now.

In the end, Odin said he would return the Casket to Laufey as long as Laufey acknowledged Loki as a prince of both Asgard and Jotunheim. Loki would officially remain Odinson—Odin refused to budge on that point—but he would have the Jotun-related title as well.

As for Frigga, she insisted that Loki needed to understand a little more about his birth family. She had done her best to educate him on the matter since she'd first told him the truth, but that was not the same as actually making contact with the Jotnar people and their culture.

Once the Casket was on the table, Laufey agreed to everything very quickly.

Back on Asgard, Frigga asked Odin about his decision to give back the Casket. She didn't question its wisdom—she also believed it had been the right thing to do—but she wondered about his train of thought.

"I was going to return it anyway," Odin explained. "I can't have Jotunheim fall apart completely. It's still part of the nine realms." He shrugged. "But Laufey doesn't know that."

The announcement of the wedding between the two princes threw Asgard into chaos. Loki and Thor fled to parts unknown as that news—and the truth about his adoption—came out. Frigga let them be, since Loki still came to their usual breakfasts and they had time to discuss the details of the wedding. Thor came too, and while he was completely hopeless in matters of the decorations that would be needed, he never tore himself away from Loki's side. Half the time, his hand rested possessively on Loki's belly.

Later, Frigga would learn that during their absence, Thor and Loki had often visited Jotunheim and Thor had behaved in a similar manner in front of King Laufey. It was a little adorable. Even the Jotnar agreed.

The day of the coronation, Frigga took position in front of Hlidskjalf. A huge crowd had gathered in the throne room, not only Aesir, but also delegations from other realms, Alfheim, Nidavellir, Vanaheim—and of course, Jotunheim. Laufey himself had come, together with his other two sons, Helbindi—the future king of Jotunheim—and Byleistr. But Frigga only had eyes for Loki and Thor, who were standing in front of her, decked in their celebratory armor. Her voice shook slightly when she declared them wed, her heart clenching with love for her beautiful sons. And then she watched them both swear an oath to protect the nine realms, as king and king-consort, and it was everything Frigga had hoped for when she had taken the tiny Jotun babe in her arms, all those years ago.

Of course, that was when Loki blinked and swayed slightly. Thor caught him before he could hit the ground, but his expression showed naked fear. "Loki... Is it the babe?"

Thor had many qualities, and his secret relationship with Loki had made him more discreet. But he was still the God of Thunder, and he was just as loud as ever.

His voice echoed through the throne room—and he was completely oblivious. "Are you well?" he asked, his eyes solely on Loki.

And that was how Asgard—and a few other realms on top of it—learned that Loki had married pregnant. Oh, well. At least now Frigga could get started on the nursery.


	4. A Grandmother's Work is Never Done

**Chapter 4. A Grandmother's Work is Never Done**

Loki had twins—because of course, one child was not enough trouble, there had to be two. Thor was with him when he gave birth, and Loki somehow managed to break Thor's arm and two ribs throughout the entire process.

Thor was oblivious to his pain and whenever Loki blasted him away with magic, he returned, brushing Loki's sweaty hair out of his face, always there, always steadfast. Loki cried and cursed and swept at him again, but eventually, he was successful.

Modi and Magni were lovely, and within two weeks of their birth, they had the whole of Asgard wrapped around their little fingers.

After giving up his throne for Thor, Odin could often be found in the nursery, with one of the twins pulling on his beard and poking at his eyepatch. Frigga sang to the children and told them stories and held them close, much like she had when Loki and Thor had been young.

They grew too fast, and they were soon off on adventures of their own. Things started to explode all over again, and Thor panicked when it became obvious that Modi could lift Mjolnir—sort of—despite the fact that the hammer was as big as he was. Magni had inherited Loki's magic, and his first spell left Odin without eyebrows for three weeks. He also seemed to get along quite well with Sleipnir, and as they grew, Sleipnir's stables quickly became the refuge of the twins.

Modi and Magni were still very young when Heimdall reported that, on Midgard, the Tesseract had been found by a villain known as the Red Skull.

"We cannot let this happen," Thor declared. "The Tesseract is our responsibility and the mortals remain under Asgard's protection. We must go retrieve it from the hands of the villain."

Loki agreed. He was, of course, required to stay in Asgard, since he was meant to hold the throne in Thor's absence. He didn't like it, but it couldn't be helped.

Thor took Sif and the Warriors Three with him, but also a contingent of Aesir soldiers. Odin went with him. "I might be old," he argued, "but I am still the one who sent the Tesseract to Midgard and I know how to handle it."

And so, they were off. Whenever she wasn't busy with the twins, Frigga watched them through her seer's mirror, while Loki watched from the throne. Asgard remained just as busy as ever, even after its king's departure, and the twins were feeling their father's absence, so neither Frigga nor Loki had much time to dwell on their concerns.

The mortals were originally reluctant to accept Aesir assistance, and Frigga knew that it irritated Thor, since it was a needless delay. Still, he had learned diplomacy from Loki, and he and Odin both explained the situation.

It was when Thor met up with Steven Rogers, the Captain of America, that things finally began to go smoother. The Captain had just liberated his missing shield-brother and a contingent of other troops from the evil organization led by the Red Skull when he and Thor crossed paths.

Hydra didn't stand a chance.

The Red Skull attempted to make his escape with the Tesseract, but the Captain took him out while Odin retrieved the Space Stone and Thor and the rest of their troops handled the rest of the Skull's troops.

In the wake of the battle, Thor approached the Captain of America. "You are a fine warrior, Steven Rogers," he said.

"Thank you, Your Majesty... I mean, Thor. Thanks. We really couldn't have done it without you."

Thor shook his head. "Midgardians had grown much since we Aesir first came here. We have a lot to learn from you." He paused. "Soon, I will have to return to Asgard. But as a shield-brother and a friend... Perhaps you should tell the Son of Barnes how you feel."

The Captain panicked. "Thor? No... It's not like that. Bucky's my friend."

"As you say, Captain. But that doesn't mean he cannot be more." Thor squeezed the Captain's shoulder. "Consider it. I do believe he feels the same."

Frigga was proud of her son. Apparently, he had learned from his experience with Loki, and maybe he'd inherited some matchmaking tendencies from Frigga too.

She never did find out whether the Captain replied to Thor's comment, since Magni chose that exact moment to make a vase explode. Frigga set her seer mirror aside and returned to her grandchildren.

"All is well, my darling. Your father will come home soon."

She was right, because it was that same night that Thor and Odin returned. Magni and Modi cheered, lunging at their father. Thor picked them both up with a booming laugh. "Oh, dear. It seems I have been missed."

"You have no idea," Loki said. "They've both been terrors."

They shared a brief kiss and Loki stole Modi from Thor's arms. "Come now, children. Your father is tired."

"But we want to hear about the red-skulled villain!" Magni cried.

"Oh, do you?" Thor laughed. He placed Magni on top of his shoulders. "He was quite fierce looking indeed. He had tamed the mighty beast called hydra..."

He was still telling the story as he left the room, followed by Loki and Modi. Frigga hooked her arm through Odin's. "Welcome back."

"It is good to be back," Odin said with a smile.

* * *

If pressed, Frigga would later admit that, at first, she had not known what made her turn her eye on Midgard once again. To a certain extent, she believed it must have been the memory of Thor calling the Captain of America his shield-brother.

Either way, she looked, seeking out Steven son of Rogers and his friend James Buchanan son of Barnes.

Time had passed since Frigga had first seen them. They were older, although not by much, and they seemed to be in a desert of sorts. They were bent over the fallen body of a dark-haired man.

"Steve..." The son of Barnes said. "There's nothing we can do. You heard the doctor. The shrapnel in his chest is going to kill him."

"We can't just let him die, Buck. There has to be a way. We can't... This is Tony, Buck."

The man, Tony, mumbled in his sleep and reached for Steven's hand. "Steve... Bucky..."

"Oh, God, please..." Steve begged. "Please. Save him."

The Aesir had not been worshiped as gods on Midgard in ages, and it was not Frigga Steve was hoping for. And Frigga should not have intervened, because if she healed one mortal, how could she deny another?

But something about these particular mortals wouldn't let her go, and she didn't have the heart to refuse them.

With a thought, she teleported to Midgard. The son of Barnes instantly heard her and turned on his heel, posting himself protectively in front of his two companions.

"Holy shit. Where did you come from?"

"My name is Frigga, and I am Thor's mother and the queen of Asgard. I have heard Steven's prayer and I am here to help."

"You can heal Tony?" Steven's eyes were very wide.

Frigga nodded. "I can."

It was not that difficult, but a Midgardian's body was quite fragile. Tony's had been pierced by several projectiles that were making their way to his heart. The pieces were probably too minute for a Midgardian healer to remove without killing him. They were currently being held back by a rudimentary device, but its insertion had done as much damage as the original injury.

Fortunately, Frigga had her magic. She knelt next to the Midgardian and let her power flow over him. The pieces of metal slid out of his flesh, glowing slightly. Once she was done with that, she removed the device as well. Mending his chest was far more complicated, especially without Asgardian technology, so she retrieved several healing stones from her satchel.

It took a while, but the Midgardian's wounds were soon healed and he fell into deep sleep.

"He is going to be all right," Frigga said with a smile.

"Really?" The Son of Barnes sounded breathless. "Wow. I just... Thank you. Thank you, Your Majesty."

"It was my honor to assist you. Unfortunately, we cannot do this on a regular basis, as it is forbidden to intervene in the lives of Midgardians outside extreme circumstances. But I do believe... I do believe it was not yet your Tony's time."

She was proven right not long after that, when Tony went on to unlock the secrets of the Tesseract with only a handful of notes left behind by the red-skulled villain. And it was not easy for him, because the hydra Thor had hunted down was not yet dead. But when they came after his loved ones, Tony built a flying suit of armor and fought bravely by their side.

The hydra was once more defeated.

But it was not over yet. Two months later, Frigga received a vision. She saw darkness approach, and she knew the Midgardians would be instrumental in addressing it.

The Golden Apples were a prized secret of Asgard, but Thor trusted her assessment, and he was still fond of the Captain of America and the Son of Barnes.

And so, Frigga's next visit to Midgard brought her in front of Tony Stark and pressing the Apple of Immortality into his hand.

He wanted to know how it worked. He wanted to understand why she could not share it with the whole of mankind, and he could not grasp how one Apple could give him immortality.

"It is not something your science can decipher just yet, Son of Stark," Frigga said. "The Apples are a product of millennia of magical research. Perhaps one day, your world will be ready for it—but that day has not yet come."

The Midgardian nodded. He looked at the Apple in his hand, clearly hesitating. "There's so much I can do with this. Cure cancer. AIDS."

"It will come. Trust me on this, Son of Stark. It will come. But you need to live on for this to happen."

Tony Stark stole a look at his screens. One of them displayed the Captain of America sparring with the Son of Barnes.

After one more second of hesitation, he brought the Apple to his lips and bit down, thus sealing his fate.


	5. Don't Let Them Play With Infinity Stones

**Chapter 5. Do Not Let Your Young Play with Infinity Stones**

The Convergence sent Asgard into chaos.

Well, it wasn't actually the Convergence, not entirely, but the sudden disappearance of Loki and Thor's sons.

Loki and Thor kept a close eye on Modi and Magni these days, but somehow, the boys still managed to escape their quarters. And normally, they would have been easy enough to find, but they stumbled onto a gravitational anomaly and kept traveling from realm to realm.

Loki was a wreck. He blamed himself. He didn't eat and he didn't sleep and he didn't stop realm hopping. Frigga ached for him and she did her best to seek out all signs of her grandchildren, as did Heimdall. But no matter how hard they all tried, they were always one step behind.

And then, Modi and Magni vanished entirely. The people of Asgard were distraught. The obvious love between Thor and Loki had gone a long way to fight their prejudice, and they'd grown to love their new kings. But it was Loki and Thor themselves that were naturally hit hardest. Loki was inconsolable. He wept and wrecked his chambers and clawed at his eyes. Asgard was hit by a storm fiercer than anything it had seen before. It was only Loki's uncontrollable grief that kept Thor from losing it entirely—which was fortunate, because Loki loved his children so much he was becoming unable to control his seidr.

It was as Frigga was losing all hope for her family that Heimdall burst into the healing rooms Loki had been assigned. "My kings, we have found them! I have seen the twins."

Loki's shaking instantly stopped. "Where? Where are they?"

"Midgard."

As it turned out, the children had somehow stumbled onto the Aether. It had entered Magni, and they found Modi bent over his younger brother, crying and trying to make the unconscious Magni respond.

Loki and Thor brought them both back home.

It soon became obvious the situation was hopeless. Magni was too small to contain something like the Aether, so the power was consuming him. They tried everything—luring it into Odin, into Loki, into Frigga. They tried the Frost Giant touch, turning Magni into his Jotun form in the hope that it would shake the Aether out.

Nothing worked. Frigga had never heard Odin curse Bor's name, but he did it then.

That was when the Dark Elves struck. Malekith had somehow managed to use the Convergence and slipped past Heimdall's sight. But Heimdall still managed to erect the shields around the citadel. Even with the speed of the ships, the Dark Elves couldn't penetrate the fortress, at least not yet.

A disturbance in the palace prisons turned out to be more serious than expected, in that one of the Accursed had slid inside. Somehow, the creature managed to pinpoint the core of the magical shields located on palace grounds. The golden shell flickered, but stayed up.

Frigga mentally thanked the Norns that Loki had added a second generator to the shield ages ago. He'd always been dissatisfied with the state of Asgard's defenses, and once Thor had taken the throne, he'd gotten personally involved in fixing those issues.

Normally, Thor would have been the first to go squash the prison rebellion, but today he did not go. Loki's eyes turned dark and speculative as he watched the battle outside. "Malekith. Of course."

He shared a look with Thor. Thor once more took his hand, and they disappeared.

Outside, the Dark Elf vessels began to explode. Safe behind their walls, the Aesir citizens watched in confusion.

Loki and Thor returned ten minutes later, covered in blood and guts and carrying a delirious Malekith. "You will do as I say, lest you learn the extent of the torture your body can take," Thor growled. "I will have you convulsing in my lightning for an eternity, and then let you down and make Loki heal you, and I will repeat the process."

Loki's hand landed on Malekith's forearm. "Come now, Thor. There is no need for threats. I am sure Malekith sees the truth of our arguments."

Malekith hissed in pain as Loki's fingers turned blue. Loki nodded at Odin and Frigga. "Be ready," he mouthed at Frigga.

"Do it now," Thor snarled at the dark elf.

Malekith's gaze zeroed on the bed, where the still sick Magni lay. He didn't have to be told twice. He pulled the Aether out of Magni's body.

Perhaps he thought he could absorb it into himself, but Odin, Frigga and the others had had time to figure out a way to contain it. Between Frigga's magic, Loki's, Odin's and Thor's thunder, the Aether was bent to their will and into an orb-like container.

"No!" Malekith shouted. "You cannot do this."

Loki wasn't listening anymore. He shoved the dark elf aside, his gaze fixed on Magni. Both he and Thor were by Magni's bedside in instants. "Come now, sweet one," Loki coaxed. "Look at me. Open your eyes."

Magni's eyelashes fluttered. "Mother?"

"Yes, darling, it is I," Loki said, his voice shaking.

Thor remained in the healing room for a little while longer. Once he was completely certain Magni was on his way toward recovery, he left to hunt down the Accursed. Or at least, that was his intention—he didn't actually have to go, since the creature came to them.

Due to the foul magic the Accursed had absorbed, he was impervious to most damage. He also made a fine target for all those present to take out their lingering pain and frustration. And as it turned out, a blow from Gungnir worked wonders against all manners of creatures, even the Accursed.

Loki wielded the spear as well as Odin once had, and in the end, the beast fell under the combined strength of the Odinsons. By that evening, Magni had completely recovered and had been reunited with Modi. When Malekith's head rolled under the executioner's axe, neither Thor and Loki were there—since they were too busy enjoying their family.

* * *

Shortly after the Convergence, Thanos struck at Midgard. Magni and Modi were still very young, and they spent a lot of time with their younger siblings, Vali and Narfi. The Aether incident had taught them responsibility and they were very well-behaved children. Similarly, Sleipnir seemed to have developed a sort of brotherly protectiveness toward them, and whenever the boys went anywhere, they took Sleipnir along.

Thanos's threat was serious enough that Loki could not stay behind. Frigga had to act as regent once more as her husband was close to going into the Odinsleep. And once again, she took the spear and the throne and had to watch her loved ones leave into battle, just like she had, so long ago.

The children wept when their parents came to say goodbye. Loki kissed them gently on their foreheads and painstakingly recast the charms of protection on his sons.

"Be good while your father and I are away, my darlings," he said.

"Yes, Mother," Modi sniffed.

Thor hugged his sons tightly, perhaps tighter than he would have usually. He knew, like Loki did, that this would not be an easy battle. Chances were Thor or Loki—or both of them—might not return. But they couldn't abandon Midgard, and neither could they leave Thanos to roam free unchallenged. At this rate, he would tear down the Tree itself in his madness.

None of the boys asked Loki and Thor to stay. They all knew their parents would have never left if they'd had a choice.

Thanos had brought massive armies to Midgard. They were led by his general, Ronan, a Kree armed with a hammer that held the Power Gem.

The Midgardians stood their ground. The Man of Iron and The Captain of America now led a group called the Avengers. The Apple had done its job and maintained Anthony Stark's youthfulness. The Captain and the Son of Barnes showed very little sign of their age as well.

Thor and Loki led Aesir and Jotun troops against Thanos's Chitauri army. Thor was flying, and his eyes were glowing with the power of the thunder. He lifted Mjolnir high, and the energy channeled through the powerful weapon consumed everything in its path. Loki's magic cut ruthlessly through his opponents. They were beautiful, Frigga's sons, a whirlwind of power and destruction, and nobody could stand against them.

And then, the Chitauri leader appeared out of nowhere and pressed the Mind Gem to Thor's chest—and everything went wrong.

As the only one who could stand against Thor, Loki had to take them out of there and in a location where their battle would do less damage. Frigga wept bitterly as she watched them strike at one another, watched the maddened Thor deliver hammer blows to Loki's chest. Loki was fast, but he had the disadvantage of not wanting to hurt Thor, of knowing this wasn't truly Thor that he fought.

Frigga couldn't allow this. She gave Gungnir to Odin, hoping he would still be strong enough to hold it until she came back.

Then she teleported to the site of the Midgardian battle. Tyr and Helbindi were managing to coordinate the troops in Thor and Loki's absence, so she didn't have to intervene there.

She found the Chitauri leader with ease. He had managed to enslave two of the mortals too, but he had been thrown aside in the rampage following the creature the Midgardians called the Hulk. The scepter with the Mind Gem lay abandoned next to his broken body.

Frigga picked it up.

It took but a moment to detect the strands that kept her son's mind bound. They were connected directly to Thanos and she cried out in pain as she realized she couldn't undo them, not directly, not through the scepter. And destroying the scepter could result in a catastrophe and consume Thor's mind forever.

But that didn't mean she was helpless. She found the mortals who had been enslaved and hit them hard in the head. Her magic detected the way the hooks in their mind shattered at the blow.

"What are you doing?" The Captain of America shouted. "What is going on? Where are Loki and Thor?"

"Thor is mind-controlled. So were these Midgardians. If there are others like them, you need to hit them hard in the head, to shake off the trance. Now, where is your Hulk?"

It was difficult to teleport the Hulk to Thor and Loki's location, and Frigga got thrown around quite a lot in the process, but she managed. "Loki!" she shouted at her son. "Let Thor fight the Hulk."

Fortunately, Loki didn't question her. Instead, he lured the green beast to Thor.

The battle with Loki had drawn a lot out of Thor, and the green beast was furious. While they seemed pretty evenly matched, at one point the Hulk managed to grab Thor's foot and bashed him against the ground—several times. Hard.

Both Loki and Frigga flinched. They knew he would survive, but that didn't mean they were happy about it.

Once Frigga was satisfied the mind control was gone, Loki blasted the green beast away and teleported back with him to the site of the battle.

Meanwhile, Frigga bent over Thor. "Mother?" Thor asked as his eyes cracked open. "What..." Suddenly, his entire body went rigid. "Where is Loki? Where is my brother?"

"He is fine, Thor. You did not harm him. He has returned the green beast to the battle so that he can let out his anger on Thanos."

"I remember..." Thor's fists clenched.

"I know. It was not you. It was not your fault."

Thor's lips thinned. "They will pay for this treachery."

In the end, the Kree general fell first—to Thor's anger and his lightning. When the hammer with the Power Stone left his grasp, the Man of Iron retrieved it. Loki summoned the Casket of Ancient Winters—and Frigga had not even known he could do that, but of course he could—and froze Thanos. The ice would not have held him, but the Man of Iron directed the bright beam of his suit at the Mad Titan.

Fueled as it was by the Power Gem, the beam shattered Thanos into a million pieces.

The day was won.

And when it was all over, the Man of Iron insisted that they feast on something called shwarma. "It's an Avenger tradition," he said, throwing an arm over Loki's shoulder. "And you and your brother and your mom are honorary Avengers now."

Loki arched a dark brow. "Are we? Thank you, Man of Iron."

"No problem, Reindeer Games. What are friends for?"

"Reindeer Games." Thor chuckled, and it was nice to see him find a dose of amusement despite the fact that he was still shaken after the battle with Loki. "That is a new one. Cow."

Loki broke away from the Man of Iron and pressed his lips to Thor's. "Hen."

The Midgardians just stared. "Well, then... I did not see that coming." The Man of Iron removed his helmet and clapped his hands together. "But... Gods, right? What can you do? So... Shwarma time!"

Frigga hooked her arm through that of the Man of Iron. "That sounds lovely, Man of Iron. Lead the way."

Ragnarok had been averted. Her beautiful boys were reunited and were largely unharmed despite the fierce battle. Yes, there had been heavy losses, from the armies of Adgard, Midgard and Jotunheim, but for the moment, the battle had ended, and Frigga was content.


	6. Epilogue Children Are Full of Surprises

**I originally planned to end this story in the last chapter. However, I decided to write this small epilogue - to close the circle so to speak.**

 **IMPORTANT NOTE: This chapter contains references to the Young Avengers. If you're unfamiliar with them, the ones mentioned are:**

 **Wiccan: William Kaplan**

 **Hulkling: Theodore Altman**

 **Speed: Thomas Kaplan**

 **Hawkeye (Kate Bishop)**

 **Their inclusion is because, in this verse, Thanos's invasion happens long after it did in the MCU, and some of the members of the original team would be aged out. Also note that I used the comic canon that states that Natasha received a version of a super soldier serum while she was with the Red Room**.

 **Epilogue. Children are Always Full of Surprises**

Frigga should have known. In truth, she felt almost as foolish as the rest of Asgard for not having seen it before now.

She had always been secretly fond of Anthony Stark. Whenever she looked at him, something tugged at her heartstrings. At some level, she had been convinced that her vision warranted her intervention, and that had indeed proven to be the case, but it soon became obvious that her affection for the Midgardian was not strictly related to the well-being of the Nine Realms.

Rather, he was like a Midgardian version of Loki, just as clever, just as witty and wicked and, deep inside, kind.

Five minutes into their post-battle feast—and the shwarma was a strangely interesting treat if Frigga did say so herself—Anthony Stark and Loki were already engaged in a conversation over the differences between Midgardian science and Asgardian magic.

Steven Rogers and James Barnes smiled fondly whenever Anthony turned toward them, gesticulating wildly. The Hulk's alter-ego, Doctor Bruce Banner, seemed interested, but too fatigued after his transformation to offer valuable input. At one point, he practically fell asleep with his head in Lady Romanov's lap.

The archer of their group, a young woman named Kate Bishop, occasionally rolled her eyes, obviously accustomed to such displays from Anthony's side. The young mage William who went by the name Wiccan sat in the second shape-shifter's—the smaller Hulk's—lap and leaned in closer, seeming fascinated with what Loki was saying. Wiccan's brother, Thomas, mostly focused on his food, but he did perk up whenever Loki said something of particular interest to his twin.

For her part, Frigga watched the exchange with a barely concealed smile. Asgard had grown to love Loki as a king consort, but he'd never truly had peers there, never friends of his own. Maybe Anthony Stark could be that friend. And she liked the younger members too. They reminded of her own grandchildren.

Of course, for all that Loki clearly got along with Anthony, he was somewhat reluctant to go into detail about his life. He did not trust easily—the only one he'd been close to his whole life was Thor. And then, Anthony Stark leaned in closer and grinned, wide and a little manic.

"So, I gotta ask... Are any of those legends true about you? Because really, what I've seen so far doesn't really match with what I read up from the Norse myths. Do you actually have kids?"

"Tis true, Man of Iron. Loki and I have four children of our own. And of course, there is my brother's eldest, the great stallion Sleipnir."

The Man of Iron whistled. "So that's actually a thing, huh?"

Frigga suppressed a flinch. Loki adored Sleipnir, but most people didn't take well to the idea of Loki having relations with a horse—whether he had been a shape-shifter or not. Loki's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, only perceivable to someone who knew him very well. "Yes, it is. He is most dear to me."

Anthony Stark, though... He didn't seem taken aback, at least not in the sense others had been. He just looked from Loki to Thor, then back to Loki. "But the other stuff... You know... The... Uh... Lip-sewing? That can't be right. I mean, you guys are so great together. I can't imagine..."

He trailed off, obviously realizing awkward silence had fallen over the table. And Frigga understood then that it wasn't Sleipnir that was the issue. Anthony Stark was concerned for Loki.

"I take it there are tales of my sons on Midgard."

Steven Rogers cleared his throat awkwardly. "Yes, ma'am. Err... Your Majesty. We're sorry. We didn't mean to pry."

"Tis not prying," Loki said. "I believe I have heard of these tales. And no, Man of Iron, they are not true."

"What tales do our shield-brothers speak of, Loki?" Thor asked curiously.

Loki related the story, as it was on Midgard. And of course he knew, Friga's clever son. He had always been fascinated by different civilizations, and while both he and Thor had traveled during their youth, Loki was the one who tended to pay more attention to their culture and lore.

Thor looked outraged. He actually shot to his feet, lifting his hammer. Outside, thunder sounded. "That is preposterous. I would never suffer such damage to come to my brother and our children. You must tell me where these foul skalds are, for they will meet with Mjolnir at once."

Loki rolled his eyes. "Sit down, Thor. The people who came up with these ideas have died long ago. And they are only myths."

Thor deflated. It was almost amusing to see. In some ways, Thor was still very much a young man, and his first impulse when someone threatened his family was to smite them down. But there was no one to smite now, and he could hardly blame the Man of Iron for asking the question, so Thor did in fact sit down.

"At any rate, as I pointed out, I did not in fact have my lips sewn," Loki said. "And Thor did not, in fact, marry the Lady Sif, nor did I wed the Lady Sigyn. Magni, Modi, Vali and Narfi are all our children."

He didn't address the part of the tale that referred to the children's demise, not that Frigga could blame him. But Anthony Stark still looked very regretful, obviously wishing he hadn't brought it up.

"Well, then... I hope you guys come and visit. And bring the kids. They're probably old enough by now to leave Asgard, right? Especially Sleipnir."

If Anthony hadn't mentioned Sleipnir, if he hadn't said it so naturally, Loki would have undoubtedly refused. But when he did so, when he included Sleipnir with such acceptance, something shifted in Loki's stance. He relaxed.

"Perhaps," he said softly. "It might do them good to travel."

Anthony immediately perked up. "Awesome. You've got to let me know what they like, though. I'll have rooms prepared, somewhere nice and private. Maybe special accommodations for Sleipnir? What about your other kids?"

Despite everything, despite the previous tension, Anthony's obvious enthusiasm cleared the air. Thor and Loki were both proud parents and were more than happy to talk about their children.

And really, that was where it all started.

* * *

Predictably, the children were incredibly excited to learn of their impending visit to Midgard. Modi and Magni practically danced around the room upon hearing the news, and Vali and Narfi both cheered, obviously enthusiastic. Sleipnir pranced excitedly, eager for a change of pace.

Loki still made it clear that the boys needed to be good and polite to their Midgardian hosts. Loki and Frigga would both be staying on Midgard all throughout the visit, and they would have Sif and the Warriors Three there, just in case, but it was always best for the children to understand the stakes.

Midgard wasn't the riskiest of realms, and the Man of Iron had taken every precaution, but there were always potential dangers for a young, curious child.

Finally, the long anticipated day came. The whole family—including Odin and Frigga—traveled to Midgard, to the Man of Iron's abode.

The Bifrost dropped them in front of a massive structure, the Midgardian base of the Avengers. Apparently, the Man of Iron had offered various options, but this had been deemed safest, since most of his residences, while opulent, weren't built to resist the avalanche of enthusiasm of Loki and Thor's children.

At first, the children were shy—but it was Sleipnir who went ahead to nudge the Man of Iron and demand attention. Anthony laughed and patted Sleipnir's head. "Hi, big guy. Wow, you're really better than the stories say. I adapted one of my garages for you. Want to see?"

After that, the children sort of pounced on the Man of Iron. Thor watched in confusion, while Loki just grinned. For her part, Frigga was torn. She had always known the children loved Sleipnir and didn't like it when his role in the royal family was disregarded, but she was not prepared for it to be made so obvious.

Apparently, children were always full of surprises.

Steven and James intervened, rescuing Anthony from being overwhelmed by the children. Loki and Thor joined them, and soon, Anthony was giving the group a tour, looking only a little rattled.

Soon, the other Avengers introduced themselves, and the children were intrigued. Magni and Modi took to William and his companion, Theodore, almost immediately, whereas Vali and Narfi seemed particularly drawn to Doctor Banner.

By that evening, the entire gathering had evolved into a free-for-all battle game. It was the younger Avengers, versus the older ones. Magni and Modi were fairly young still, but could still contribute and had been chosen for William's team, which also included the archer Catherine, the young Hulk, and William's brother Thomas. Sleipnir had joined Anthony's team—made up of Anthony himself, and his two lovers, James and Steven. The number of the people in the teams wasn't even, but it was considered fair enough since the older Avengers were more experienced. Loki and Thor sat the game out with Vali and Narfi, and Frigga had never seen them look so utterly content, not for ages. Sif and the Warriors Three spoke with the Avengers who were not participating in the game.

Frigga took a few moments with Odin to revel in the simple peacefulness of the moment, in the sound of the children's laughter and the joy they found in the game. There were days when she felt each and every one of her years and she knew Odin felt his own burden even more acutely—but in that moment, none of it mattered.

Of course, just as she thought this, a niggle at the back of her mind alerted her of something else happening. She turned, only to see Lady Romanov in deep conversation with Sif. Doctor Banner stood nearby, looking a little wary and confused.

When Lady Romanov and Sif began to spar, the game ended since everyone wanted to watch the new event. The children weren't particularly close to Sif, but they cheered for her anyway—all except Sleipnir, whose neighs of encouragement were directed at the Widow. Sleipnir always had been a bit of a trickster, and in that sense, he was truly Loki's son, for all that he hadn't been born of Loki's flesh.

Sif was stronger, but the Lady Romanov was faster, more agile. They were evenly matched, and by the end of the session, Sif was smiling wider than Frigga had ever seen her before.

Frigga smiled too. She had been concerned about Sif ever since Thor and Loki had married. To know that she had found a match here, on Midgard, was a weight off her soul.

"It seems, Man of Iron, that you might have a new Avenger soon."

Anthony grinned back. "Can't say I mind, especially if it means we get more visits."

Sleipnir nuzzled his cheek, making Anthony laugh. And Frigga wondered if it would be too much to give Anthony a blessing of children of his own.

It was something to consider—for the future. For now, they were happy, and her sons had found unexpected friends and unexpected acceptance here on the mortal world. Frigga could ask for nothing more.


End file.
